Champagne and Baby Powder
by ElaineRadley
Summary: A continuation of the stories "Vanilla and Spice" and "Rose Petals and Chocolate..."


_**Well, this in the 3**__**rd**__** part in my unofficial series that began with Vanilla and Spice and continued with Rose Petals and Chocolate. Hope you enjoy! **_

* * *

She was oh so tempted, but in the end, she waved it away. "You _know_ I shouldn't have that."

Placing the two glasses on the coffee table, Cal dropped down next to her and threw an arm around the couch, lightly stroking the side of her neck with feathery touches of his fingers.

She shivered and he grinned.

"Might help him sleep, you know." He tilted his head to gaze into her eyes and unbidden warmth pulsated outward from her lower belly.

"That's terrible." There was very little strength in her protest.

_No, it wasn't a good time_. Any minute she'd hear the little one's call and all her heat would have nowhere to go.

"In Europe it's not uncommon for kids to drink wine."

"At three months?"

Cal continued his gentle massage, shrugging. "Okay, but how come during a briss, the baby gets a little wine to, um, distract 'im from the, uh, you know..."

Gillian didn't stop the smile at the sudden shift in his tone from casual to borderline terror.

This time, he shuddered. "Subject change."

"Right."

"My point is, it's our anniversary and one glass of champagne will not hurt you _or _the little tyke."

It was true. She knew she was being ridiculous but her maternal instincts were fierce. She didn't want to lace the profound connection she felt when nursing their son with guilt, however silly it might be.

Cal edged even closer so his thigh but firmly pressed to hers. He dropped his head and kissed the skin at the side of her neck. "Course we could always just…"

The baby monitor burst to life as Brendan's complaints filled the living room.

Without pause, Cal was up and Gill eyed his strong back and cute butt as it disappeared upstairs.

This had been the routine since they'd arrived home. When Brendan cried, Cal automatically went to him and brought the baby back to his mother for feeding. Gillian had had a caesarian so she'd initially been a little awkward but Cal had risen to the occasion with nary a complaint. It made her love him all the more.

She rose as well and quietly followed him, pausing outside the nursery and listening to his lovely lilt as he soothed the baby and talked him through the diaper change. The words rose and fell, sometimes nonsensical, sometimes blending together is a soft song but they never stopped. Brendan's cries faltered at his father's gentle tone and Gillian felt the sting of tears as she smiled. He'd taken the baby thing in stride, as if he'd just gone through it a couple of years back, not close to two decades. The little one quieted for several minutes before letting out a new hefty wail, the cry that demanded, in no uncertain terms: now that my bum's dry, my belly needs filling!

When she heard Cal's movements toward the door, she deftly returned to the living room, grabbing the boppy and finding her comfortable spot in the corner of the couch.

He appeared a moment later, his eyes and twisted lips letting her know she'd been caught out but he said nothing. Bending, he delicately handed her the child who was swinging his fisted hands in agitation. "Quite the squawker this one. Just like his sister."

"Only like his sister?" Gillian twitched as eyebrow, a smile pulling at her mouth as she maneuvered the baby into position. The little boy's sleeper had changed from dinosaurs to happy moons and she could smell the light fragrance of baby powder and the sweetness of him. She inhaled deeply.

"I don't need to stand here and take this kind of abuse."

"Okay. Sit then." She was still smiling as she teased the baby's lips with a forefinger to get him to open wide. It had taken some work for her and Brendan to get it together but now feedings went smoothly. Lovely bonding moments had since replaced the specter of incorrect latching and cracked nipples.

Cal lowered himself onto the cushions and once more threw his arm over the back of the couch, his eyes soaking in the sight next to him. Gillian was the most beautiful thing in the world to him and the sight of her nursing his son made her glow even more brilliant. The fact the little tyke had thrown a monkey wrench into their sex life was beside the fact.

For the most part.

They reveled in how aware Brendan was. How he seemed to absorb everything and anything. But with that super vigilance came the realization the baby was loathe to sleep. He didn't want to miss a thing and once up was reluctant to release the threads of consciousness even when his little body insisted. A lot of push and pull inside led to pissed off wails of discontent with his parents caught in the middle.

Oh yeah, Brendan was just like Emily. Uh huh.

* * *

"I think I'll have that champagne now."

Cal blinked. "Are you sure?"

The fight had lasted almost four hours. It was just after three and both were bleary, slightly cross-eyed and now sitting at the breakfast bar.

Her face flashed indecision before settling into resolve. "Yup."

"Okay darlin'." He grabbed replacement glasses, filled them and returned to hand one to Gill. "Happy Anniversary."

"Happy Anniversary."

They clinked and drank in silence, both waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Silence.

Cal reached over and removed Gill's glass from between loose fingers and placed it next to his on the bar. A tiny smile flickered at the corner of her mouth when he cradled her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes. "I love you."

She turned in his gentle grasp and kissed his palm. "I love you too."

"Even though I allowed our babysitter to be taken to New York by her mum on our anniversary?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Fairly certain Zoë did it on purpose." Cal noted dryly.

"Don't want to talk about Zoë." She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his, her hands skirting up to clasp his shoulder and the back of his neck.

The kiss morphed from sweet to deep and heavy as he pushed back, parting her lips with his tongue and caressing the heat within. Her response was instant, a low moan escaping her as she clung to him.

Moments later, they parted but remained in one another's arms, foreheads connected, breathing heavily.

"I so want to make love to you." His voice was hoarse.

"Uh huh."

"But I'm so bloody tired."

"Uh huh." Gillian blinked heavily and yawned, attempting a block with the back of her hand.

Cal chuckled and kissed her nose. "Happy Anniversary, luv."

"Happy Anniversary." Her eyes had begun to sag again but they flicked open, worry creasing her face. "You're not disappointed? I mean, you're not sorry or anything…?"

"No darlin'. Welcome to new parenthood and I wouldn't change it for the world." He rose and pulled her up next to him. "Now let's try to get a few winks in before Brendan blows up all over us again."

"Okay."

Holding her against him in a side hug, they moved toward the staircase, her head resting against his shoulder in familiar comfort. The peace she felt was enormous.

"Yup. A little snuggling, a little more kissing, maybe a tiny bit of feeling up and I'm ready for bed."

She giggled. "Such a romantic."

"You just wait Mrs. Lightman." Cal kissed the top of her head. "I'll bribe Emily to watch Bren for a few hours, then you'll see."

"I can _hardly_ wait."

"And I don't plan on _disappointing_…" He lowered his voice, seduction and accent swirling in a dangerous mix.

"Will it involve vanilla…or chocolate?" Her eyes were so damned heavy but she felt a quiver in her loins regardless.

"It very well might, luv. It very well might." He chuckled low in his chest as they first stopped at the baby's room.

Gillian slid forward on catlike feet to gaze down at the sleeping little boy, wonder filling her as it always did. _He was just so beautiful._

And thankfully he kept sleeping, soft baby snores reaching her ears.

She then joined her husband in the hallway and accompanied him to their bedroom for a little sleepy anniversary snuggle with the promise of sweet kisses and the very real probability of a feel up. After all, as tired as he was, Cal _was_ still Cal.


End file.
